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Transit workers pay for bus advertisements urging defeat of I-695
Transit workers pay for bus advertisements urging defeat of I-695
Joseph Turner; The News Tribune
Bus drivers and other transit workers are taking an active role in the campaign
against Initiative 695 by paying for bus ads that say "Save Public Transit.
Vote No on I-695."
The ads will appear on buses throughout Pierce, Thurston, Kitsap, King and
other counties, starting today.
"It's pretty short and simple," said Mike Powell, president of the Amalgamated
Transit Union Legislative Council. The union is paying for the ads with money
it collects from its 6,400 members for political activities.
Powell said transit workers are worried about losing their jobs if voters
approve I-695 and repeal the state motor vehicle excise tax, a major source
of transit funding.
"We're worried about more than (layoffs)," he said. "Certainly, there's going
to be cuts if this thing passes. But the ATU has been transporting the public
since 1892, and a lot of us think transit is an asset to the community."
Pierce Transit has warned employees it might have to lay off between 100 and
150 workers next year if I-695 passes.
Spokeswoman Jean Jackman said the agency accepts political advertising as
long as the sponsor is clearly identified on the ads. It's the union - not the
transit agency - that is paying for the ads, she said.
Powell said the council has paid to put ads on about 70 Metro buses, about
20 Pierce Transit buses and others on buses in Thurston, Spokane, Kitsap, Jefferson
and other counties.
Overall, the ads will appear on up to 145 buses across the state at a cost
of about $35,000, Powell said.
I-695 would repeal the state excise tax and license tab fees and replace them
with a flat $30-a-year fee. It also would require a public vote on any proposal
for a new or higher tax or fee for any government. The measure will be on the
Nov. 2 ballot.
Sponsor Tim Eyman has said opponents are exaggerating the impact of I-695,
and state and local governments should be able to offset the loss of revenue
by dipping into the state's $1 billion reserve.
Thereafter, local governments could change their spending priorities or ask
voters to raise taxes, he said.
© The News Tribune
10/12/1999
